EDIT: I kept messing around and the thing that crashes my whole network is when the Coax LAN on the upstairs actiontec is activated. Whether that be when you turn the actiontec on, or if you have it on and then plug the coax cable in. Once the router is off everything works again. However when I have it on and connected to my laptop, I am still able to access the downstairs actiontec settings, so it is obviously reaching the other router somehow. But it just messes up the internet connection.

Hopefully I can get this figured out, its frustrating getting something new and not being able to play with it yet!

It sounds like you and npradeepkumar are having similar issues. What cable modem and router do you have? What are the IP addresses of your cable modem and router?

My router assigns addresses/static IPs as 192.168.1.x. I know some other brands use 192.168.0.x. My instructions have you assigning a hard IP assuming it should be 192.168.1.x - perhaps that is an issue?

If you just connect the actiontecs together with a piece of coax (not through your house wiring) does it work fine?

I have another question. When we assign the actiontec's an IP Address in step 7, does that IP address have to be something that is inside the range of the Starting and Ending IP Address of my main router's DHCP server?

No - actually you want it to be OUTSIDE of that range. So if your DHCP server assigns 192.168.100.0 - 192.168.100.255 you can to assign something like 192.168.1.15. See my comment above regarding whether maybe for your router this should be 192.168.0.15?

It sounds like you and npradeepkumar are having similar issues. What cable modem and router do you have? What are the IP addresses of your cable modem and router?

My router assigns addresses/static IPs as 192.168.1.x. I know some other brands use 192.168.0.x. My instructions have you assigning a hard IP assuming it should be 192.168.1.x - perhaps that is an issue?

If you just connect the actiontecs together with a piece of coax (not through your house wiring) does it work fine?

xnappo

My cable modem is a Motorola Surfboard SB5100 and the wireless router is a Linksys WRT54G running DD-WRT. I'm at work right now but I know for a fact my WRT54G's IP address is 192.168.1.1. Not sure about my modem.

I will try again when I get home but step 14 "connect a coax cable directly between the two Actiontecs...." worked perfectly when I tried it and then when I put them where they are supposed to be, that's when the problem starts.

Thanks so much for your help xnappo, hopefully I can get this working!

I hope so too. Only thing I can think to do it try a different frequency...

xnappo

I'll try that when I get home. Is there any test I can do to see exactly where in the process it goes wrong? Obviously the coax LAN connection is there since I can connect to the downstairs routers web interface while connected upstairs even when nothing else works.

Could it have something to do with the way the coax is setup in my house?

Also, if it matters, the Coax LAN light continually flashes. Never stays lit.

I tried the modem status thing and when everything was hooked up like I like, the Coax LAN was still flashing and I was unable to access the modem status page. I then tried changing the frequency....no changes, still no modem status page.

I then brought everything downstairs and tried step 14 again by plugging the 2 actiontecs into each other and the Coax LAN light stays lit and everything works fine. I even tried plugging the 2 actiontecs into 2 different spots on the downstairs splitter and everything is fine. The problem seems to occur when I leave the downstairs splitter.

If the connection has to get past the downstairs splitter to go to another room, that's when it doesn't work anymore. Could this be a problem with my house's setup or could it be the modem?

Splitters should be okay, as long as there are not any amplifiers in between the two Actiontecs. You might check your splitters/swap some out to see if you can isolate the problem.

xnappo

Alright, I think I narrowed it down.

I tried it in every room that has a Coax Cable and same thing for every room, some of the modems lights turn off and no internet. So I went out to my garage. In the garage there is a box that has a sort of splitter/switch box, where the main cable line comes in and then there is about 8 other "out"s that go to each room.

Since we only have 4 rooms with coax there are a few free plugs, so I hooked up the actiontec router to it and everything worked! I can't see how that is any different than the cable going to my bedroom!

How would I know if there are any amplifiers somewhere along the line?

Since we only have 4 rooms with coax there are a few free plugs, so I hooked up the actiontec router to it and everything worked! I can't see how that is any different than the cable going to my bedroom!

How would I know if there are any amplifiers somewhere along the line?

That thing in your garage probably IS an amplifier(does it have a power cord?). It is probably blocking the Actiontec from talking between the rooms. Connecting it directly probably gave it enough backwards signal strength to get through.

What I think you want to do is unscrew the OUT cables for the rooms you want to go between. Then connect a two way splitter from ONE out of the amp box to the input of the splitter, then connect the cables for the two rooms you want to connect between to the splitter.

It does not have any power cords, or any kind of power going to it so maybe it isn't an amp. I tried your suggestion and got the same results so that's making me think it isn't. I just don't understand how other people got it to work and I haven't!

It does not have any power cords, or any kind of power going to it so maybe it isn't an amp. I tried your suggestion and got the same results so that's making me think it isn't. I just don't understand how other people got it to work and I haven't!

I am totally confused too - if that isn't an amp and it works when you connect it directly to it... I really don't know what it could be. It isn't a 10000 square foot house or anything?

I'll test a few other things and possibly come back with some updated diagrams of what I have tried and what worked/didn't work.

I'll keep messing around with stuff but I just don't get how it's interfering with the cable modem. It can't be the coax connection because that works almost every time, but the modem just goes down when the coax connection is made.

I figured it out! I took the main coax line in to the house that's in the garage and put it on a splitter, with 1 going to the downstairs router, 1 going upstairs and 1 going to the box in the garage that splits it to the rest of the house and it worked! It must have been that box, maybe it was an amp after all.

I figured it out! I took the main coax line in to the house that's in the garage and put it on a splitter, with 1 going to the downstairs router, 1 going upstairs and 1 going to the box in the garage that splits it to the rest of the house and it worked! It must have been that box, maybe it was an amp after all.

I'm so excited!

Thanks for all the help

Very glad you got it working. I still find it strange. For group knowledge - do you mind looking at that box again and reporting back here what it says on it?

I am really glad it worked out for him. I have still not been able to figure out my situation. I think I have a similar problem, but not the same. The problem with my setup is that, when I connect the actiontecs to my main router, I lose internet connection wirelessly from my main router. What I do not understand is that my main router is before any of the actiontecs and all wired connections connected to my main router are working fine. But so far, I have only been able to have 1 active wireless connection working and connecting to the internet. I have 2 laptops and an iphone that I would still want to be able to connect wirelessly. But I can consistently get only one of them to connect and get to the internet.

My streaming between the actiontecs and the devices attached to them is working fine without any problem. I am able to view and watch HD content on my Media center PC upstairs from my XBOX 360 connected downstairs (thru actiontecs) and thru a linksys extender in my Master Bedroom (again connected through actiontecs). Right now, I have my wife's laptop connected wirelessly to my main router and she is able to get to the internet. But I cannot connect my laptop or my iphone. I get an IP address and all, but cannot connect to the internet.

It looks like I am so close, yet cannot figure this out. My router is Netgear WGR614. I also have a Motorola surfboard 5100 modem. Also, I don't think I have an amplifier as there is no power cord connected to the main splitter in my basement. This is where the main cable line comes in. What else should I check. What might I be missing.

It looks like I am so close, yet cannot figure this out. My router is Netgear WGR614. I also have a Motorola surfboard 5100 modem. Also, I don't think I have an amplifier as there is no power cord connected to the main splitter in my basement. This is where the main cable line comes in. What else should I check. What might I be missing.

On both the working and non-working laptop, please open a command prompt and type 'ipconfig /all' and post the results here. I suspect something with DNS servers...

On both the working and non-working laptop, please open a command prompt and type 'ipconfig /all' and post the results here. I suspect something with DNS servers...

xnappo

I have been using wired connection on my laptop for the past 2 days since I was afraid to change anything and lose connection. I had tried once yesterday evening to connect wirelessly and it did not work. But right now, when I disconnected my laptop from the wired connection in order to upload the ipconfig information here, I was surprised when it started working fine and connect to the internet. Just to be sure that the wireless internet on my wife's laptop was not gone, I restarted her laptop and checked to see if she can still connect. It appears that she is also able to connect now without any problems. And the bonus is that the wireless on my iPhone is also working now. I know I did not change anything. So, not sure what happened, but everything is working fine. I am very happy, but I will keep my fingers crossed, just to make sure that there are no other quirks and watch it for a few more days to see if this will be permanent. If I experience issues again, I will come back and post the IPconfig information or any other information that can help you help me.

No - actually you want it to be OUTSIDE of that range. So if your DHCP server assigns 192.168.100.0 - 192.168.100.255 you can to assign something like 192.168.1.15. See my comment above regarding whether maybe for your router this should be 192.168.0.15?

xnappo

I want to make sure I am using this correctly. The DHCP server on my main router assigns IP addresses in the range of 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.50. I have my 3 actiontec's as 192.168.1.25, 192.168.1.50, 192.168.1.75. Right now, everything is working, but should I change these 1st 2 to something greater than 50?

I want to make sure I am using this correctly. The DHCP server on my main router assigns IP addresses in the range of 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.50. I have my 3 actiontec's as 192.168.1.25, 192.168.1.50, 192.168.1.75. Right now, everything is working, but should I change these 1st 2 to something greater than 50?

Well... If it is working I guess go ahead and leave it for now - but it really should be OUTSIDE of the DHCP addresses. I can kinda see how it might cause the kind of issues you are having.

Anyone else have an opinion here? Suggestions on how to make this clear in the first post with the variety of routers out there?

Well... If it is working I guess go ahead and leave it for now - but it really should be OUTSIDE of the DHCP addresses. I can kinda see how it might cause the kind of issues you are having.

Anyone else have an opinion here? Suggestions on how to make this clear in the first post with the variety of routers out there?

xnappo

Okay, I will leave it for now till I hear back something different on this forum. I think I also figured out why the wireless was having issues time and again. One one of my 3 actiontec's, I did not have the DHCP disabled. Hence, my wireless was somehow connecting with the gateway as 192.168.1.50 instead of 192.168.1.1. I am not sure how this works, but just to be sure, I checked the wireless setting on that router and it is disabled (By diabled, I mean that the Radio Enable is set to 'No' in the Wireless Status). I am not sure if this is the right way to disable the wireless or if I am doing something wrong. Hopefully, the wireless problems that I have had in the past should go away with this. I will come back and update if I find anything else.

Hopefully this helps! If you guys have any questions on how I got it working just let me know.

Thank you. This is great to know. How do you know which one is Bi-directional and which one is not. I have ordered one of these, but I want to check the others that I am using in my home, just to be sure.

I'm not an expert in this stuff by any means, but I was able to succesfully follow Xnappo's insturctions and get it to work. Based on that success, I bought two more of the Actiontec's and converted them as well. I now have true high speed networking throughout the house and have my Replay TV DVR's set up so I can stream from any of them them, to any of them. Outstanding!!. I did one additional thing though, I went back and turned wireless broadcasting back on, told the unit to bridge wifi as well and I now have amazing signal strenght in every corner of my wicked difficult house. Thanks Xnappo.

Glad it is working for you - not sure about the blinking light. I would try running Jperf/Iperf and see if the speed looks right:http://openmaniak.com/iperf.php

xnappo

Hi,
I downloaded this jperf, but I am not sure how to use it or what are the parameters or port that I need to put in. I tried putting in the IP addresses of my actiontec's with the default port of 5001, but I keep getting a message of connect failed: connection refused

I want to check this out because I am getting a message of 'Network Issue' when I am trying to play HD content from my media center upstairs to my xbox 360 downstairs through the actiontecs. What I do not understand is that, when I try to run the network tuning test that is provided by default in the Media center, it says that it has sufficient bandwidth.

I'm not an expert in this stuff by any means, but I was able to succesfully follow Xnappo's insturctions and get it to work. Based on that success, I bought two more of the Actiontec's and converted them as well. I now have true high speed networking throughout the house and have my Replay TV DVR's set up so I can stream from any of them them, to any of them. Outstanding!!. I did one additional thing though, I went back and turned wireless broadcasting back on, told the unit to bridge wifi as well and I now have amazing signal strenght in every corner of my wicked difficult house. Thanks Xnappo.

That is great to know. Can you please post more detailed instructions on how you told the unit to bridge wifi. I am a little new to this and do not want to mess anything else up while trying to play with this.

Hi,
I downloaded this jperf, but I am not sure how to use it or what are the parameters or port that I need to put in. I tried putting in the IP addresses of my actiontec's with the default port of 5001, but I keep getting a message of connect failed: connection refused

You need to run 'iperf -s' (server) on one computer and 'iperf -c ' on the other.